[pontiacpark]

Greetings guys from the "land of the long white cloud'. i see it stated in a lot of listings that the pontiac V8 GMC half ton trucks are rare. as a matter of interest guys, anyone know how many of these trucks were built in their respective years?.

[Jack Gifford]

I've never seen any production totals for the V8 option in '55-59 GMC trucks. The V8 apparently wasn't extremely rare, but the great majority of pickups those years had the GMC six-cylinder. In my locale, I probably saw around a dozen new '55-59 GMC pickups back then, and none had the V8.

[Jack Gifford]

I'm getting closer to being able to say that my '59 GMC is "totally disassembled". Now that the cab is off, it shouldn't take me too long to take the chassis apart.

[Bill Hanlon]

Jack: What are you planning to use for exhaust manifolds on your '59? If not stock, have you done any actual test fitting? Gary in Katy is too shy to ask.

[Jack Gifford]

Bill- I'm using R.A.R.E.'s repro longbranch manifolds with 2.5" outlets. It will be "interesting" to see if the left one clears the steering box as I believe it will! Before removing the 350 Pontiac that was in it, I did a bunch of looking/measuring in that area- looks like it will be close, might need to "fiddle" with engine position a little. The trans crossmember will need to be replaced by a fabricated one that drops straight down from the frame rails, to clear the headpipes. The longbranch manifold exits aim directly at the stock crossmember!

[rwolf]

I am putting a 1960 389 in my 59 gmc that has the factory 336 in it. I am trying to find some headers that will clear the factory steering box and starter. Any ideas? Also I have a hydromatic that came out of the 60 catalina that I got the motor out of that I was thinking of putting in my GMC but I don't know what I could do for a shifter, any ideas.

Thanks for all the great info I have been reading about.

Robert

[Jack Gifford]

Frame sandblasted and powdercoated. Not shown- sixty other chassis pieces powdercoated.

Cab metal/body/paint work all done.

[Bill Eveland]

Looking good Jack, did you ever find the trim piece for the bedside?

[Bill Hanlon]

Originally Posted by Bill Eveland

Looking good Jack, did you ever find the trim piece for the bedside?

Bill: I'm surprised he hasn't made the trim pieces.

Don't you have a solid front axle on your '55? If so, you ought to see what he just did to the front axle on the truck. http://oldgmctrucks.infopop.cc/eve/f...36/m/776109227

[Jack Gifford]

Yes, I finally found three SS trim pieces for the bedsides. They were somewhat mangled- paid a professional trim restorer about $300 to "renew" them. Bedsides are all restored/painted/assembled/wrapped, as is almost everything else for the truck.

[Bill Eveland]

Bill, link doesn't work without being registered.

[Bill Hanlon]

From Jack's post over on OldGMCtrucks.com ....

I finally received the Torrington bearings I had ordered. Measurements of all the pieces confirmed that I needed .018" more "space" for the axle-end/bearing combo. I milled the .018" from the tops of the axle ends, since trueness/squareness of that surface isn't as critical as the bottoms. Nevertheless, I got the tops true to about +/- .001". Assembled end play is .001" - .002", well within the .005" limit stated in the shop manual (with no shims). Everything went together good on a trial assembly, but needs to come all apart again for powder coating. Short pieces of bicycle inner tube make nice dust covers for the Torrington bearings, and should be more effective than the "umbrella" style shielding of the original bronze/steel thrust washer package.

Here's a photo of one of the Torrington bearings with its two .095" thick hardened steel races. The other picture is one kingpin assembled, complete with bicycle inner tube "boot" around the Torrington.

[Rocky 389]

My buddy, Chris has this 56...runs a [cough] small block chevy! I'm trying to talk some sense to him.

[Jack Gifford]

Originally Posted by Rocky 389

... I'm trying to talk some sense to him.

Keep talking!!!

[Jack Gifford]

Finally actually ASSEMBLING some stuff! Rolling chassis is pretty much done- just need to finish fabricating the torque arm for the rearend housing.

[Jack Gifford]

Uphostery shop just finished the seat. High quality workmanship from Rancho Upholstery in Geneva, NY (Robert Monica).
[Sorry 'bout the low-resolution picture]

[SteveGB21]

Although I don't own the truck (yet), wondering if it would be best if I used the factory engine frame mounts for a Pontiac powered engine, but then upgrade the engine for a '69 and later block. Or, would it be best to come up with something from scratch?

[Jack Gifford]

To put a '69 engine into '55 - '59 GMC, some of the mounting will need to be "from scratch" no matter how you do it. I can't really recommend one over the other, but you have two basic routes:

1) 3-point, the way the GMC V8 was mounted- single front mount with two mounts wide-apart at the bellhousing.

2) 3-point like the '69 Pontiac was- two on the sides of the block and one at rear of transmission.

[SteveGB21]

Pontiac Jack,

Thanks for the input. I would fabricate something from the '69 and later blocks. I guess whatever I get the Poncho block from, maybe get the frame mounts, alongside making an extra crossmember for it to mount, and then trying to make a transmission crossmember as well. That was what I did wonder about, and you did solve my question.

Steve

[Pontirag]

I dont think the aluminium timing chaincover is stout enough to handle an old style gmc v8 front mount.Dont think they fit either the 70 and later blocks accept the 2nd gen firebird mounts that move the mounts further forward. that gives you some room to clear the steering box not much but enough. I wrote up on this in great detail when I put a 74 400/th400 in a 50 pontiac. same deal. Same deal with a 55 pontiac too